The present invention relates to a wristband with articulated links including a first row of lateral links marking the first edge of the wristband, a second row of lateral links marking the second edge of the wristband, the links of this second row being aligned on the links of the first, two aligned links defining a pitch of the longitudinal development of the wristband, and at least a third row of central links inserted between the links of the first and second rows and offset by a half-pitch with respect to the links of said first and second rows, each link of the first and second rows including on the one hand respectively first and second holes disposed in alignment with a third through hole made in a first link of the third row and on the other hand, respectively fourth and fifth holes disposed in alignment with a sixth through hole made in a second link of the third row, this second link being contiguous with the first, a first bar being engaged in the first, second and third hole and a second bar being engaged in the fourth, fifth and sixth holes.
A link assembly like that described in the preceding paragraph is given as prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,274. This assembly includes three rows of links, in particular an upper row, a central row and a lower row. The links of the upper and lower rows are aligned while the links of the central row are offset with respect to the links of the other rows. Each link of the central row is pierced with two through holes and each link of the upper and lower rows is pierced with two holes, one through hole and the other blind. On the one hand, a through hole of a first link of the central row is aligned with two through holes made respectively in a link of the upper row and in a link of the lower row, which results in three aligned holes in which a first bar is engaged held in the link of the central row by a necked sleeve. On the other hand, a through hole of a second link of the central row is aligned with two blind holes respectively made in the link of the upper row and the link of the lower row, resulting in three aligned holes in which a second bar is engaged, held by being driven into each of the links of the upper and lower rows.
The assembly described above has, however, several drawbacks. It will be noted first of all that the fact that the first bar is held in the first link of the central row by a neck arranged thereon exerts non negligible mechanical stress on the link, which may cause it to shatter, if it is made of a friable and brittle material, for example ceramics. It will also be noted that driving the second bar into each of the second links of the upper and lower rows exerts even further stress thereon such that they may also shatter during this operation if, as already stated, these links are made of a friable and brittle material. It will be noted finally that driving in the bar is not considered a sufficiently reliable holding means since following movements at on the wristband, the bar may work free of its seat.
In order to overcome the drawbacks cited in the preceding paragraph, aforecited U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,274 proposes screwing the bars into the links of an lateral row and keeping them blocked in by means of studs screwed into the other lateral row. This construction is complicated both because of the number of parts which it requires and because of the time which has to be dedicated to assembling the wristband, without taking account of the ever present risk of a stud becoming unscrewed which would then require it to be blocked by adhesive. In fact, the Applicant of the present invention has observed that one of the bars in question could very well be directly screwed into the aligned rows of the two lateral rows.
In conclusion to the foregoing, and with regard to the first paragraph of this description, the present invention is characterised in that the second bar is threaded at least at its ends to be screwed into internal screw threads made in the fourth and fifth holes made respectively in the links of the first and second rows.
The present invention is also characterised by the method for assembling the different elements forming the wristband, such method being described in detail in the following description.